Castel Penede, Medieval castle in Nago-Torbole, Italy.

Castel Penede is a medieval castle ruin perched on a rocky ridge above Lake Garda in northern Italy. The structure sits on elevated terrain with views extending across the northern section of the lake.

Ulrich II of Arco built the castle between 1203 and 1207. A 1210 peace agreement between Ulrich II and Frederick of Wangen, prince-bishop of Trento, confirmed the count's claims to Castel Penede. In 1340 Nicolò d'Arco besieged it with troops of Luchino Visconti; the Castelbarco sold it to the bishopric, and the Arco recovered it in 1348. French troops destroyed it in 1703.

The name Penede comes from the pre-Roman toponym "Penna", meaning mountain ridge or peak. The castle stood where the road through the Valle Santa Lucia crossed the Bocca di Nago, the main route between Lake Garda and the Adige valley, and goods and people passing through Torbole and Nago paid a duty whose revenues were divided between the bishop and the community of Riva del Garda under a 1192 agreement. Trenches and an artillery position built by the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I remain visible on the hill.

Access is via a forest trail starting from Nago village, with the round trip taking approximately two hours of walking time. The terrain is steep and uneven, so sturdy footwear and reasonable fitness are helpful for the hike.

The site reveals evidence of Roman settlement through discoveries of coins and pottery fragments from that era. These findings show that the location was inhabited centuries before the medieval fortress was built.